Tying Up Loose Ends

By Rep. John Talley

The last days of the legislative session are looming, and we have until May 31 to give final approval to bills and the next state budget.

House bills that were amended in the Senate must return to the House before they can be sent to the Governor. The House can either accept the Senate amendments and vote on the final version, or the author can send the bill through conference committee to try to reach agreement from both chambers on language. I have a couple more bills that I’m hoping to finalize in the next week or two.

The governor signed another one of my bills this week. House Bill 1382 exempts local post-adjudication review boards from the Open Meetings Act. The change was prompted because the board deals with confidential records of cases for deprived children, so the board spends the entire meeting in executive session. Removing the boards from the requirements of the Open Meetings Act streamlines government efficiency and ensures we’re not wasting valuable taxpayer dollars on unnecessary red tape.

Meanwhile, each chamber is finalizing their budget priorities, and I anticipate being able to start hearing those bills on the House floor in the coming days. The governor is hosting House and Senate leadership for a public budget negotiation next week, and I am hopeful that they will be able to reach an agreement so we can finalize the budget in a timely manner.

Last week, I attended the Lincoln Reagan Dinner hosted by the Logan County Republican Party. If you weren’t at the dinner, you missed a fantastic evening of great food and good company! We heard from several speakers, including Governor Kevin Stitt and Senator Nathan Dahm, on a range of issues from economic development to border security. We also honored local citizens who have stepped up to serve their communities.

Overall, there was an atmosphere of truly caring about Guthrie and Logan County and striving to make our great state and country even better. I want to thank County Chair Jennifer Bennett-Johnson and Vice Chair Jaden Chappell for hosting such a wonderful evening. Congratulations to the Logan County Republican Party for their successes this year, and thank you for continuing to uphold conservative values.

I also want to take a moment to congratulate Dr. Ruth Jackson on being named the next president of Langston University!

Dr. Jackson has a wonderful talent for making people feel welcome. From the time I first met her, I thought she would make an excellent president of Langston. It’s so evident that she truly cares about seeing students succeed, and she is passionate about Langston University as well.

She has such a teacher’s heart, but she is also a visionary who can inspire people to be excited about the future and pursue great things. Congratulations to Dr. Jackson on becoming Langston’s 17th president, and thank you for being willing to step into this position.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me at 405-557-7304 or [email protected] with any questions or concerns. Thank you for the honor of representing House District 33 at the State Capitol.

Rep. John Talley, a Republican, serves District 33 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Logan and Payne Counties.